Endless clothes-line



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Dec. 2, 1890.

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'izfimflmflzh W. W. HATFIELD. ENDLESS CLOTHES LINE.

(No Model.)

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1 4 I ENDLESS GLOTHES LINE.

No. 442,044. Patented Dec. 2, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC VENTW'ORTH \V. HATFIELD, OF FLORENCE,COLORADO.

ENDLESS CLOTH ES-LINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,044, dated December2, 1890.

Application filed April 19, 1890- Serial No, 348,613. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WENTWORTH W. HAT- FIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Florence, in the county of Fremont and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Endless Clothes-Line, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has relation to clothesdriers adapted for use indoor, onhouse-tops, or in the yard, and when in the latter to be so operatedfrom the porch or under cover as to obviate the necessity of theoperator stepping upon the wet ground.

The objects of the invention are to provide a drier so constructed as toadapt the same fordrying large amounts of clothing in a smalldrying-space and to so construct the drying-frame that the same may berun out into the sun without the necessity of the person hanging up theclothes walking from one line to the other.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterappear, and the novel features of the invention will be particularlypointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drierconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a trans- Fig. 4 is a detail inperspective of one of the standard, sockets. Fig. 5 is a plan of thedrier. Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of one of the axle-castings.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 represents the opposite side sills of the frame, connected at theirfront ends by a transverse platform 3 and at their rear ends by atransverse connecting-bar 4.

5 represents opposite castings, which are of semicircular shape andprovided upon their rear sides with longitudinal ribs 6. One of thesecastings is mounted upon each of the sills 1,near the rear ends of thesame, and is bolted thereto, as at 7, the ribs 6 resting upon the sills,as shown. The under surfaces or bottoms of the castings are providedwith transverse dovetailed recesses S, which are in line with thetransverse connecting-bar 4, said bar being of rectangular shape incrosssection. In each of the recesses 8 is mounted a plate 9, upon theupper surface of which and at its inner end is formed a pair oftransverse bar-embracing ribs 10, the outer edges of which are beveledto fit the dovetailed recesses 8 in the castings. The ends of the platesare reduced to form bearings 11, and upon the same are mountedground-wheels 12. The. outer faces of the castings are provided withdiverging radial recesses 13, a pair being formed in each casting, andin -each of said recesses there is located a simporl'ingbar 14, the twofront supportingbars being disposed in an inclined manner to the frontand the rear supporting-bars in a similar manner to the rear, and thetwo bars at each side of the frame being connected by a longitudinalbrace-wire 15, also forming a track.

In the upper ends of the rear bars 14 there is journaled loose pulleys16, the peripheries of which are gooved, and in the upper ends of theopposite or forwardly-inclined bars there is journaled a transverseshaft 17, provided near its opposite ends with large pulleys 18,circumferentially grooved and provided at one side of their grooves withsprocketteeth 19.

A pair of horizontal forwardlydisposed arms 20 have their rear endsconnected to the forwardly-inclined bars 14 and their free endsconnected by a revoluble shaft or roll 21, the ends of which arejournaled in the bars, said bars being braced in their horizontalposition by means of a pair of opposite inclined bracebars 22, the endsof which are made fast to the bars 20 and 14.

Encircling each of the pulleys l8 and 16 and passing under theroller-bar 21 is an endless belt 23, preferably of wire cable, which atintervals are connected by tie-wires 21, the ends of which are bentdownwardly to loosely embrace the track-wires 15. The rear tie-wireisconnected to the longitudinal traclc wires 15 by means of rings 26,which ride upon the wires with the movements of the opposite endlessbelts.

Between each pair of tie-wires there is arranged a series of. smallerclothes-supporting wires 27, the ends of which terminate in eyes,

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direction given to the pulleys l6 and 18, so as to carry theclothes-supporting wires to or from the rear of the frame.

Each of the inclined bars ll is provided with an eye 29, and in eachof'the eyes there is loosely connected one end of a stay-chain 30, theopposite ends of the chain being provided with driving-pins 81, adaptedto be driven into the ground, and thus anchor the frame against beingblown over during high winds.

To hang out clothes the crank is revolved until the last of thetie-wires is at the front of the frame and in a position to receiveclothes, and the several wires are then filled, first bringing them intoposition at the front of the frame, the crank being gradually revolvedas the wires become filled, so as to advance those filled toward therear of the frame. During this operation the person may stand upon theplatform 3 or upon a porch, as desired. To unload the frame the crank issimply given a retrograde movement, so that the wires are successivelybrought to the front and are stripped. In order to avoid stepping intothe yard in case of a shower, I have provided the platform 3 with an eye33,in which is connected one end of a drawing chain or cable 34, theopposite end thereof being at the house or under cover, and by saidchain or cable the machine may be moved toward the house.

Bolts 35 are passed through the plates 9 and the transverseconi'iecting-bar, and by removing the same the plates may be withdrawnwith the wheels from under the frame, so that the sills 1 will restdirectly upon the ground, and in case the stay-chains are not employedwill not be so liable to be blown over, as the frame-work is as a Wholeconsiderably lowered, and the sills resting upon the ground the wind isprevented from getting thereunder and raising the frame. In drying theclothes it is preferable to arrange the machine so that the clothing, orrather the spaces between the clothing, will be in line with the currentor direction of the wind, so that the 'wind will pass through the samein currents,

and thus a quick drying be effected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination,with opposite sills and opposite standard -supporting castings providedwith dovetailed grooves in their lower edges, of a connecting-barconnecting the sills, and opposite plates embracing the edges of theconnecting-bar and having beveled edges fitting the recesses in thecastings and terminating at their extremities in bearings and wheelsmounted on the bearings, and re movable bolts passing through the platesand connecting-bar, substantially as specified.

2. In adrying-frame, the combination, with opposite sills, of oppositecastings mounted upon the same, bolted thereto, and having transverseribs overlapping the upper edges series of transverse clothes-supportingwires,

substantially as specified.

In a drying-frame, the combination, with opposite sills, of oppositecastings mounted thereon, having radiating oppositely-inclined recessesand opposite pairs of bars oppositely inclined and mounted in therecesses, loose pulleys mounted in the rear bars, act-ankshaft journaledin the front bars and pro vided with opposite toothed pulleys, endlessbelts connecting the opposite pairs of pulleys, tie-rods connecting thebelts and extending at each side of the same and adapted to engage theteeth of thepulleys, and intermediate clothes-supporting wiresconnecting the belts, substantially as specified.

4. In a drier-frame, the combination of the opposite sills havinginclined pairsof opposite bars, loose pulleys mounted in the rear pairof bars, a crank-shaft mounted in the front pair of bars, horizontalarms extending from the front pair of bars, a loose roll journaledtherein, toothed pulleys mounted on the crank-shaft, endless cablesmounted on the loose pulleys, passing under the roll and over thetoothed pulleys, longitudinal braces connecting the opposite pairs ofbars, tie-Wires ranged at intervals and connecting the endless belts,rings connecting one of the tiewires at its opposite ends with thebraces, and

mounted upon and connecting the opposite endless belts, substantially asspecified.

, 5. In a drier-frame, the combination of the frame comprising oppositediverging bars and connecting brace-Wires, a shaft journaled in a pairof the bars and terminating at one end in a crank, pulleys mounted uponthe shaft, a loose roll located below the shaft,

loose pulleys mounted in the remaining pairs WENTWORTII W. HATFIELD.

Witnesses:

H. L. SEAVERS, E. II. BENSON,

a series of clothes-supporting wires loosely IIO

